The broad long-term objective of the NCCU Support for Continuous Research Excellence (SCORE) program is to enhance and expand the overall biomedical research capability at North Carolina Central University, thereby, increasing the number of under-represented minorities who conduct biomedical research. This application is a competitive continuation that requests support for 5 biomedical research projects and three new pilot research projects. This application has two program goals 1) Increased research productivity of subproject PIs and 2) Increased research interest and participation in biomedical research by non-MBRS departmental faculty members Measurable objectives for these goals are: 1) To increase the number of faculty publications in peer-reviewed journals 2) To increase the number and quality of collaborations for faculty investigators 3) To increase the number of faculty presentations at national scientific meetings; and 4) To increase the number of non-MBRS faculty members seeking and winning external support through MBRS and other funding sources. Eight research subprojects in this application represent Departments of Biology, Chemistry, Psychology and the Biomedical Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI). Research topics include: synthesis of pharmacologically active heterocyclic compounds, investigation of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and cancer in African Americans, oxidative damage induced by nitric oxide in bacterial and transgenic mammalian cells; identification of polymorphisms in the natriuretic peptide clearance receptor gene region, V-Ha-ras transgene expression in TgAc mice, use of human hair as a biomarker for lead exposure, epigenetic control of the expression of the UDP-glycuronosyltransferase 2B17 gene, and co-metabolic carbon reductive degradation of chlorinated aromatics by a local sediment slurry.